Throughout the season, the Mériadeck arena, full of its 3,500 spectators as it has been all along, wasn’t there to share the immense joy that overwhelmed the players. But the fifty or so supporters who made the trip lost their voices cheering that this season, Bordeaux will have been everywhere at home. When they return to their true home at Mériadeck on Sunday morning, the Boxers will surely be greeted by a crowd eager to connect with their heroes.
Behind the bench, coach Olivier Dimet and his assistant Rémi Peronnard embraced with all the emotion of the workers in the shadows of this success. Throughout the medal ceremony and trophy presentation, the players slowly realized that they had kept their promise. To keep playing their hockey and to focus on the basics, like offensive efficiency and defensive seriousness, to the point of perfectly handling the only numerical inferiority of the match. This Saturday, as soon as Grenoble tried to get back on track (2-1 and then 4-2), a Bordelais made sure to push them back underwater.
Still delivering a solid, clean, and determined performance, the Bordelais savor every second. Their manager Stéphan Tartari, unable to sit still during games, is overflowing with joy.
President Thierry Parienty embraces each player. The adrenaline and weightlessness of such a moment compensate for the commitment of a season of 44 regular-season matches and 14 playoffs. Not to mention the kilometers traveled, nights spent on the bus, and weeks of back-to-back games. But this Saturday, all of that had the best taste ever experienced, the taste of victory.
Even though the tension was palpable about how intense the Loups’ flame would be in this last-chance match in front of their fans, the suspense didn’t last long. Barely ten minutes into the game, Leborgne scored the first goal. A video review for a potential high stick by the attacker ultimately confirmed the Boxers’ lead. At the end of the period, Guidoux was quickest to a puck in front of Pintaric and ended the first period 2-0. The Bordelais were more incisive (15 shots to 7) and focused, epitomized by Papillon’s brilliantly defended net. However, he did concede to the top scorer of the playoffs, Beauchemin, momentarily stirring a spirit of rebellion in the stands of Polesud (2-1, 27th). Not for long.
Captain Poudrier restored the lead shortly after (3-1, 29th), experiencing a dream scenario of future retirement. For his final season of his career and seventh with the Boxers, the French-Canadian forward was able to share the quarterfinal series with his former pro player father, Serge, and his family, who surprised him by coming from Quebec. He hangs up his skates as a champion. And as the Bordelais want to do things right until the end, Beaudry capitalizes on their first power play to widen the gap (4-1, 32nd). “There is no doubt,” begins to echo in the stands.
The smile of satisfaction on the faces of the Boxers contrasts with the disappointment of the Loups, who were never close to their tenth crown. The Bordeaux energy, born from a season that started in pain and was then illuminated by a series of 11 victories, surely made the difference against the increasingly exhausted Isérois after a strenuous semifinal against Angers.
Even though their captain Treille tried to wake up the ice (5-1, 43rd), Bruche responded and finished devouring what remained of Grenoble’s spirit (5-2, 44th)! “There is nothing better than becoming champion by beating Rouen and Grenoble,” said goalkeeper Quentin Papillon before the match. And that’s exactly what they did, and did it so well.
